The Interns
by birdofshade
Summary: Mutli-Oneshots about the love lives of our favorite interns; Vincent, Fisher and Arastoo. Like: why Fisher's depressed, Arastoo's sullen library girl and who Vincent left behind. Various OCs, mostly Fisher and Vincent. Also, some Wendall, but not much.
1. V Tell Me Lies

NOTE: Every one-shot will have a letter in front of the title. This is so you know which character I am focusing on.

V=Vincent

F=Fisher

W=Wendall

If I decide to reuse an OC I will make note of it. But, usually, there will be a new OC every chapter.

That is all

-

Vincent raked his hands through his hair as Alice banged their land lord across the hall. He hated this. Hated living in a shitty run down villa. Hated trading the only woman he ever cared for, for rent money. Hated using her as her as his whore.

He choked back a sob as he heard the springs of their mattress creak and the man on top of Alice moan. Sighing, Vincent plucked a letter from a box next to him. He hadn't told her he'd been accepted as Doctor Brennan's grad student. He wasn't sure why.

He turned the manila envelope over in his pale shaking hands. No. He knew why.

She'd tell him to go. Alice always put him ahead of herself. Always had.

Vincent closed out the sounds from their bedroom out of his mind, quickly heading for the kitchen. He stared at the phone. Hesitating a long moment, Vincent finally relented and pulled the receiver from the hook.

Vincent stared at her sleeping form. Alice's ash blonde hair was scattered around her with the sun's rays hitting it, it reminded him of a broken halo.

She looked older than she actually was. Always had. He'd known her most of his life, ever since they were in primary school.

He blinked and ignored the falling tears. Vincent couldn't imagine his life without her. Alice.

The young woman who put up with his rambling and random facts, and for some reason he couldn't fathom, loved him. Sometimes, when he was nervously spouting off random figures, a look would pass through her amber eyes. One of adoration and a smile would pull at the corner of her lips. He'd never see that look again.

She was his first. First love. First kiss. First everything. And his only.

Vincent set his letter, one written for her eyes only, on the night stand. Leaning over her, he gently inhaled her scent. Pear and some of his cologne from his shirt...her nightgown.  
He wondered briefly what she would sleep in from now on. Alice had worn one of his shirt to bed since they were sixteen.  
Her brow crinkled as he brushed some of her hair back, but calmed when Vincent softly caressed her cheek. He placed a feather light kiss on her cheek.

"I love you, Aly." He murmured, and then slowly made his way to the door. Giving her one last, forlorn look, he closed the door. And prayed he was making the right decision.

"Hello?"

"You're a son of a bitch, you know that?"

"Aly-" Vincent sat up, grinning.

"Don't, don't even- I can't-" Alice scoffed as she choked back tears. "If you didn't love me you could've at least respected me enough to let me say goodbye."

He closed his eyes, "It's not th-"

"I wouldn't of stopped you." She said lowly, as she ignored the older woman's gaze in front of her. "You know that right?"

He nodded, though she couldn't see him. "I know. Did-My mom took you in, right?"

Alice's bright eyes slipped to the blue eyes of the woman. "Yes, she did." Clearing her throat, she asked, "you're, you're okay, right? Safe?"

"Yeah...are you?"

"Yeah." Alice wanted to ask if he was happy, but couldn't bring herself to ask. She wasn't sure she could handle the answer. "I-um, I should go."

"Alright." Vincent nodded, holding the phone a little tighter.

"I love you, Vince."

He closed his blue eyes, and could almost see her saying it. "I-"

A deafening click cut him off.

Alice couldn't hear him say it. She didn't need to be lied to on top of heartbroken.

"I love you, too, Aly." He whispered, and the empty up-scale apartment mocked him as it echoed.


	2. F When The Day Met The Night

F-When The Day Met The Night.

Colin Fisher was generally not a happy-go-lucky guy. In fact, he was rather depressing. Most of the time.

Nate knew this. She was well-aware of this when she moved in with him. She also knew he had a wandering eye and could spit out more impromptu Goth poetry faster than anyone she'd ever known.

Nate still wasn't sure if that was a good thing. Cute, though.

Both qualities, depending on the day, annoyed the hell out of her.

This was because Natalie Daye was in no way like Colin Fisher.

Nate was bright, sweet. Albeit a tad naïve. She thought with her heart, not head and made rash decisions that often got her in trouble.

Fisher was usually smarter than that…although thinking with his dick got him in trouble almost as often.

Of course, he had a similar problem. Fisher had fallen in love with someone freakishly kind and frustratingly naïve. But, every once in a while, she'd surprise him.

-

"Ya know," Nate drawled one late afternoon in mid June, the news crinkling behind them in the empty diner, "if people just listened to their fucking kids there wouldn't be as many school shootings."

Fisher glanced at her, "You sound pretty confidant."

"Well." She shrugged, "ignoring them sure as hell ain't helping."

-

Her odd sensitivity, if you could call it that, came with an awry of optimism he just wasn't prepared for.

For every negative though Colin had, Nate had a positive. He often wondered why he'd asked her to move in with him in the first place. Why they were even _together_.

Physically, they were about as alike as night and day.

Fisher, dark, tall and lanky.

Nate, blonde, bright eyed and delicate. Her smile could light up a room…

And if Fisher allowed himself to admit it, it lit him up too.

-

"No."

"Aw, why not?!"

Colin peered over his book as Nate tugged at his leg. "Because I would rather have my spleen pulled out by a barb wire pulley system than dance."

"But it's our song." She said, plucking the poetry book from his limp grasp. Holding it behind her back, she smiled brightly as he glared at her.

"We don't have a song." His dark brown eyes watched her wearily as she tilted her head, her grin dropping to a soft smile. Slowly she brushed some of his shaggy hair away from his eyes.

_And this maiden she lived with no other thought than to love and be loved by me_

A small smirk started at the corner of his mouth. Fisher leaned forward. Nate leaned back.

"Hey." He went to grab her but she moved out of arm's length.

-

Running a hand through her blonde hair, she sighed as purple paint coated her fingers.

"Little bastards." She said lowly as she wiped her hand on her light blue jeans. Nate popped the door open while slinging her backpack off her shoulder. "'Lo?"

"In here."

She made her way to the living room, and collapsed on to the couch next to her boyfriend.

His dark eyes made a quick assessment of her. "You've got paint in your hair."

"I know." Nate sighed, closing her eyes, only to pop them back open when Fisher started running his fingers through said dirtied hair. She turned to look at him. "Oh…"

He cocked a brow. "Oh what?"

"You're in one of your moods." She said, smirking.

Fisher fought a smile, "what moods?"

She leaned into his hand as it brushed her cheek softly. Nate sighed, before saying, "One of those sweet, quiet ones that mean you're in for a lay."

"You think I'm sweet?" He asked, monotonously.

"Sometimes," Nate said, shrugging half heartedly. "When you're not fucking around on me or being a total dick."

His brown eyes blinked at her at her as she pulled away. Rubbing the back of her neck, she smiled sadly at him. Fisher didn't like it. Nate wasn't the sad one, he was the sad one. Nate was supposed to be the sweet one. Melancholy didn't suit her in the least.

"Natalie?"

Not giving him a response, the small blonde left the room before he could see the tears slip from her blue eyes.

-

"You alright? You look glummer than usual."

Fisher glanced at Hodgins and his disinterested look simply provoked the man.

"What? Did The Smiths break up? Your puppy die?"

"I think my girlfriend's depressed." The young grad student admitted, electing a snort from Hodgins.

"Of course she is, hell, it probably happened through osmosis." He chuckled, not noticing Fisher's crestfallen gaze. "I mean, Christ, you're hard enough to put up with on a day to day basis but that poor girl never gets a break."

His dark brown eyes glanced up at him from his computer chair, "you…you think maybe we should take a break?"

"Lord knows I could use one." The doctor quipped, smirking to himself as he stepped off the platform, leaving Colin to think over what he'd said.

-

"He's staring again."

Nate glanced at her friend, "Who?"

"That's creepy guy you like so much." Norma answered, nodding toward the window.

Peeking out it, the blonde saw she was right. Fisher was seated on the bench in the park across the street from the day care she worked at. Dressed in his usual gothic drab, nothing seemed out of the ordinary as he waved at her.

Hesitant to return the gesture in front of the children, she chose to simply smile.

"Well?" Norma smirked, "go see what he wants."

"You'll be okay?"

"Go."

And with a light shove, Natalie went.

-

"Hey."

He smiled to himself as she took her seat next to him. Fisher laced his fingers through her own, "Hey."

"You remember that conversation we had about how you lurking around a day care facility could be viewed as creepy?" Miss Daye inquired, squeezing his hand a little tighter.

Without a word he plopped a red tulip into her lap. This caused a brow to quirk as she picked it up. Spinning it between her fingers, she looked at him. "Ya know, I never pegged you as the tulip type, Colin."

Fisher had been going over this scenario in his head since their third date. How to say it, where they should be, how'd she react. He finally settled on being direct.

"I love you."

Nate's brows shot up as she paled. "What?"

"I said I love you, like the tide loves the moon, like-"

"Don't." She snapped, standing now. She dropped the flower on the bench next to him. "Don't say it just because you think it's what I want to hear."

Fisher's face contorted into one of grief, "I'm not-"

"Yes you are! Fuck, don't-don't play with me like this, Colin- I can't take this." Nate's voice dropped as she licked her lips. Raising a hand she wiped her eyes. "I- I think I'm gonna stay with Norma tonight."

"Natalie…" He reached for her hand again but she was quick to tuck into herself as she walked away. Sighing he plucked the discarded flower from the seat where she had been. The thin stem broken, Fisher sighed_, I can relate_.

-

"Is it just me…?" Angela started, earning an interested quirk of the brow from Temperance, "or does Fisher seem…sadder?"

"Is that even possible?" Booth said, smirking, his tone picking up a hint of amusement as the three turned to inspect the grad student. Colin was hunched over his desk, working robotically, with little expression on his face.

"Hmm." Brennan tilted her head, "one could assume his lack of sociability could be a sign of clinical depression."

"He's not depressed," The trio jumped as Hodgins smirked from behind them. "He and his girlfriend had a fight. That's all, now, back to these particulates."

Booth's jaw dropped. "_He has a girlfriend_?!" His exclamation was louder than intended, and Angela smiled as she saw the young pale man on the podium flush.

-

Nate cleared her throat. The receptionist looked up at her, offering a polite smile.

"May I help you, miss?"

"Um, I'm-I'm looking for Colin Fisher, could you tell me if he's gone for lunch yet?" She bit her chipped nails as the receptionist typed something in on her computer.

"I believe he left about ten minutes ago."

The blonde sighed, raking a hair through her short blonde hair, "Alright, thank you."

"Goodbye," The woman nodded, but Nate was already gone.

As she stepped out into the cool, September wind, Nate sighed. Plucking her from her pocket, she made her way back to their tiny apartment. She'd have to talk to him when he got home.

-

The hours seemed to tick by agonizingly slowly as she paced the apartment. Finally, she settled down on the couch.

_I guess he won't be home tonight_. Inhaling deeply, she tried not to imagine who he may be with.

Wrapping herself in a sheet, she drifted off into an unsettled sleep.

-

Fisher's head lulled back as he stuck his key in the door. Damn computer had given him a kink. He dropped his backpack onto the floor as he made his way to the kitchen. Glancing into the bed room, he sighed. Still empty. He rested his lanky frame against the door. Staring at the bed, still unmade from the morning, he couldn't bring himself to sleep in it without her. He hadn't the night before, and he couldn't bring himself to now.

Pulling the comforter from it, Fisher made his way to the living room.

The TV flickered against the darkness, and he stiffened. Looking over the side of the couch, a grin split his face in two as he saw Nate. Brushing his nimble fingers through her light hair his grin softened.

"My Annabelle Lee." Fisher whispered, leaning down to brush his lips against the smaller woman's cheek.

Nate's blue eyes opened, sparkling as she leaned into him. "Colin, I'm-"

"I meant it." He murmured, interrupting her.

"I know. I'm-I'm sorry I freaked it's just-strange, hearing it." She said quietly, running her fingers along the stubble of his cheek.

"I know." He continued to smile down at her, before pulling away. Grabbing a remote off the table he clicked a button, and music filled the apartment.

"Dance with me?" Fisher asked, blushing slightly, as Nate cocked her head to the side.

"Okay."

When it all came down to it, they pair smile at each other as they swayed, it really didn't matter that she was over sensitive and he was morbid. Because they completed each other, like day and night.


	3. V Realize

Colbie winced as a red faced Mr. Nigel-Murray retreated from the morgue.

"That was rough, Cam."

"Yeah," The doctor snapped one of her latex gloves as she pulled it over her dark hand, "well, you haven't had to put up with him for the last four hours."

"He's just a little…" The young woman's voice trailed off a moment, and Camille was quick to supply a word for the assistant.

"Insufferable?"

"Eager." Colbie corrected, glancing out the large door to where Vincent was attempting to speak with Hodgins, who also seemed to hold an amount of contempt for him. "He just wants to make a good impression."

"He could do so by keeping his mouth shut." Cam said.

Nodding, the woman felt a little bad about admitting that. She went on regardless. "It's not like we're making it easy for him."

The woman chuckled as she addressed her assistant, "Am I detecting a hint of guilt, Miss Adair?"

"Maybe some." Colbie admitted, she cleared her throat. "I mean, Brennan's been riding his ass and Hodgins' been a total douche-"

"Language!" Cam shook her head at the young woman. The girl had no tact.

"Sorry, and I mean, he's bound to have some culture shock. I mean, I moved from New York and I got it, so for him it must be like, twice that."

The woman looked up from the decomposing body, "okay, I know you're bad at geography but you have to know England is further than that."

"I do." She nodded, her bright red hair bouncing on her shoulders as she did so. A grin settled on her features as Cam shot her a disbelieving look. "Honest."

"Hm."

"I'm just sayin', I can't imagine bein' a limy."

The doctor scoffed, masking a chuckle, as she pulled a vital organ from the dead body in front of her. Placing the heart on the scale, she redirected her attention to her companion. "I don't think they like to be called that."

"Well, it's not like he's here."

"That's terrible!" The scale beeped and Cam had Colbie record the data. Turning back to her, the doctor tilted her head, "you've really given this a lot of thought." Her brown eyes narrowed in suspicion, "Why?"

Her green eyes sparkled with disappointment as she met her gaze evenly. "I may have threatened him with castration."

"Colbie!"

"I know!" The young woman shrieked, raising her hands to her blushing face. "The guilt has been eating at me for days!"

A sigh came from Camille as she noticed the pleading look in Colbie's eyes. "You want advice, don't you?" Her tone was bored, and slightly annoyed as her assistant let out a sigh of relief.

"God, yes!"

"Well, since you're the one who keeps pointing out what a pitiful loner he is, why not befriend the little freak?"

Colbie stared at her, "nice, Cam." She took the data pad, "And I don't think I called him pitiful."

"You were thinking it." Dr. Sayoren said, "We're all thinking it."

Rocking her lanky frame she pursed her plump lips slightly, "still not that nice to say it out loud."

"Hey, you asked for my advice remember?" Giving her a pointed look, Cam went back to her work as Colbie went back to moping

-

Vincent, on the other hand, was striking out with Marie from the Egyptology department. When he inquired as to why she wouldn't go on a date with him, the word scrawny had come up. Along with annoying.

So he contented himself with spinning his fork through his cafeteria food. He wasn't exactly sure what it was. They had told him it was mash potatoes and roast beef but he couldn't tell the difference between the two substances. So he chose to simply push it around his plate. The other hand held up his head as he leaned against it, his self esteem feeling like it was at an all time low. It probably wasn't, high school had been quite an ordeal for him, but this was coming in a close second.

"I wouldn't stare at that too long. It may start t'a move on its own, ya know." A sandwich plopped down in front of him as Colbie took a seat across from him. Biting into her apple she moved his tray away, eying it in distaste. "Probably go into cardiac arrest if ya tried to eat that."

"Why-"

"Oh," She waved his question away, "I always make extra. Hodgins won't eat this shit and usually tries to mooch off me, but he's being a total douche."

"I meant why are you sitting with me?" Vincent's blue eyes looked nervously at her, facts just waiting to jump from his mouth.

Colbie looked a little stunned, "well, that's a good question." She pointed at him, staring a moment before brushing it off and taking another bite of her apple.

"Did you know when snakes are born with two heads they'll fight each oth'a for food?"

His pale face flushed under her smirk. "Nope. Did you know Charlie Brown's father was a barber?"

"No…" His hue lightened before he cleared his throat. "May I inquire as to what brought on this…"

"Change of heart?" She offered, shrugging nonchalantly, Colbie answered, pausing only a moment. "Well, I guess, because you looked a little pathetic."

His gaze dropped from hers and he cleared his throat again. "Oh." The disappointment was evident in his voice and the guilt that had been lingering in the background came back to her full force.

"Plus, I kind'a like your accent." She offered him a smile, "besides, we nerds gotta stick together."

"The word 'nerd' was coined by Dr. Seuss in _If I Ran the Zoo_ in 1950."

"He's the man that just keeps on giving."

The two smiled at each other before going back to their lunches.

-

Colbie winced as he relied to her in great deal his latest dismissal from Marie. Patting him on the shoulder she shrugged, "come on, Vin, you're really not _that_ scrawny."

"Thank you." He muttered, slightly indignant as she smiled at him.

"It's her loss, hun." Giving his shoulder another affectionate rub, she went back to the body in front of her.

He sighed as he leaned against the railing of the podium. Arms crossed and in mild distress, Vincent watched as Colbie set about her work. It had been three days since their lunch together, and the woman had found, he was much tolerable after he got used to you. Sure, he'd sprout out the odd fact, but they were considerably fewer, not to mention she now found him kind of endearing. Cute even, though she'd never admit it out loud. No matter how many times Angela insisted they were _adorkable_ together.

"Hi, guys." Speak of the devil.

"Miss Montenegro." The Brit nodded, straightening up as Colbie waved with a blood cover glove.

"Sup, Angie?"

A look was disgust crossed her face momentarily, but she snapped out of it soon enough. "What'cha been up to?"

Colbie's green eyes drifted to the man next her a moment, but she said nothing on his latest rejection. No doubt the bubbly woman had heard about it by now.

"Not much."

"Each person on average in America sends 55 greeting cards each year." Vincent said, fiddling with a discarded latex glove as Angela rolled her eyes.

"That's great, Vincent." Her gaze went back to her friend, who simply smiled at the boys antics. "Anyway, what're you doing tonight?"

"Got a date." Colbie shrugged, setting an organ into the scale yet again.

Angela's eyes widened as she grinned. Vincent's did as well, but there wasn't so much as a hint of any kind of happiness on his face. Snapping the glove in his hands, he recited, "The average shelf life of a latex condom is two years."

"Really?" the redhead's brow quirked, "huh."

"Who goes out and buys condoms but doesn't use them for two years?" Angela asked, shaking her head as she looked at the young man. "Seriously, that's just depraved."

"Well, I'm not speaking from experience!" Vincent snapped, another reddened hue on his pale cheeks. He turned his attention to Colbie, who was smirking in amusement at the two of them. "So? Who is he then?"

She shook her head ignoring her…well, Angela was her friend; Vincent was more a needy acquaintance.

"Come on, spill." Angela prodded her side with dainty fingers, causing the woman to jerk away from her.

"Stop that!"

"Tell me!"

Vincent suddenly felt very out of place, and silently made his way toward the stairs. Jogging down them, he went to the locker rooms. Vincent popped his locker open and stared into the darkness a moment. He liked Colbie. Probably more than a friend should, but after supposing they were hardly friends…well, he felt rather disappointed by the whole situation. But not surprised. She was a rather lovely young woman, and lots of the men who worked at the Jeffersonian fancied her. Even Hodgins had mentioned it passing that she was attractive.

"Hey."

Jerking out of his trance, Vincent was met with Wendell Bray's voice. "Hello."

"What's up?" The man asked, tightening his shoe laces.

The other shrugged dismally while he closed his locker. "Nothing. Yourself?"

"Well, actually," He dropped his foot to the ground and looked up at Vincent. "I was kinda hopin' you could do me a favor."

"What kind of favor?" Vincent crossed his arms as he leaned against the metal containment agent.

"You know Colbie? You're friends, right?"

"Well, I would hardly call us-"

"Great!" Wendell grinned at him, clapping his hands as he stood. "Mind tellin' me some things? Favorite restaurant, flower, that sort'a thing?"

Vincent shrugged, "I don't know any of that." He replied, watching the grin drop, "I take it you're her date for tonight then?"

"Yep."

"You like her?"

Wendell chuckled, "I like t'a look at her."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Vincent snapped, glaring at the man's passive face.

He held his hands up in mock surrender, "whoa, calm down buddy. Just sayin' she's cute. What you like 'er or somethin'?"

"No." Vincent snapped, glaring at him as he blushed.

"You sure about that?" Wendell asked, watching the man's face crumble.

"No."

-

The next day there was little to be said by either party about the infamous date. It had been more or less swept under the rug, much to Angela's disappointment.

"Come on, Cole, at least tell me if he's a good kisser."

Colbie shrugged, glaring at her, "what makes you think I kissed him?"

"Wow." Angela chuckled, a hint of a scoff in her voice, "how seventh grade is that?"

"Well, I'm sorry my lack of whorism bothers you, Angie, but I didn't like him that much." Colbie ticked away on her key board, "besides, what's the big deal? Not like I'm going out with him again."

"Was it really that bad?"

"It was fine. But, there were no…sparks. Anything." She said, sighing slightly, "too bad, too. He's cute."

"Vincent's kinda cute."

"You need to stop pimping me out." Colbie gave her a pointed look, "seriously, stop it."

Angela rolled her dark brown eyes at the younger woman. Licking her lips, she cleared her throat as Colbie ran a hand through her red hair. "I'm just-"

"Trying to help I know."

"I just want you to be happy."

"I am happy!" Colbie laughed, "Why do you always associate happiness with sex?"

"Why don't you?" Angela said, smiling as the assistant shrugged animatedly. "Never had a good lay?"

"I've had enough mediocre lays to know that I'm not interested in any more of them." Colbie quipped, focusing more on her work as her boss entered. Looking between the women, she was quick to address the matter at hand.

"Colbie, you need to go work your magic before Booth kills Mr. Murray."

She blinked slowly at her. "Pardon?"

"Go distract your little boyfriend!" Cam snapped, and Colbie fled the room.

Swiping her access card, she jogged up the podium steps and over to the men. Slipping her arm through the smaller man's she grinned at him.

"Hey, how goes it?"

A blush settled on his cheeks a moment before she continued, "Cam said we could go to lunch early," Her green eyes shifted to Booth's, "if that's okay with Agent Booth and Doctor Brennan of course?"

The man beamed at her, "great! Take him!"

"Booth-" Temperance cut in, but it was too late, and Miss Adair was already pulling the grad student from the podium. "What'd you do that for?"

"Just doin' the little bastard a favor." Booth smiled, watching as the friends hands intertwined as a woman approached them. "Who's that?"

Brennan looked over, tilting her head, "oh, that's Marie from Egyptology."

Colbie quirked a brow as the blonde looked at them. Her eyes moving from the man to the woman, a smirk settling on her painted red lips. "Well," Marie crossed her arms, as Vincent dropped his eyes to the floor. "What're you two up to?"

Colbie tilted her head, noting her friend's reaction from the corner of her eye. Slipping her hand into his, she smiled at her. "Something you wanted, Mary?"

"It's _Marie_." The woman corrected, eyes narrowing as she turned to the Brit. "Vincent?"

"Um, yes?" He flushed, as she smiled at him.

"You wanna go to lunch with me?" Marie's tone was promising as she shifted her hips back and forth. Eyes coy as she snuck a glance at Colbie.

"Um, no thank you, Miss Talon." Tugging on the woman's pale hand, Vincent guided Colbie around the aghast paleontology intern. Smirking as they exited he spun to face her shocked features.

"You didn't have to do that, I know you-"

He dropped his lips to hers. Letting out a quiet gasp, she flushed as he gently tilted her head up. Her eyes drooped closed as he snaked his arms around her waist. Leaning into the embrace Colbie smiled into the kiss, at the warmth that flood through her as she slid a hand up his chest. Gripping the lapels of his lab coat she held back a whimper as he pulled away, leaving another softer kiss on her pink lips as he did.

Clearing his throat, he brushed a strand of hair from her face. "The lips are the most sensitive part of the body, you know?"

"Really?" Colbie asked smiling up at him, still slightly dazed.

"Mhm, more than a hundred times more sensitive then the finger tips or even-"

Cupping his face in her hands, she pulled him back down. They could talk later.


	4. F Recessional

Colin glanced around the busy terminal. People bustled by him, occasionally bumping his shoulder with their carry-on bags or running into his leg with their suitcases. But for the most part, he hardly noticed them.

All he knew is that Jane wasn't going to be part of his world anymore. They didn't fit together any more. Different paths. Different futures. He was sure after a couple weeks they would forget about each other and go on to live different lives.

Fisher didn't like the thought of that. He felt her shift, her weight pressing a little deeper into his side. Closing his eyes he let the world slip away, and for a moment they were alone in the darkness of his apartment, not in the busy New York airport. Touching and murmuring in the dim light of his bedroom, her hips rising to meet his as rain fell hard against his window.

"_It's so beautiful here," she says, quietly under her breathe. Her eyes are staring out his window as the storm continued to rage outside. The flannel shirt she was in fell just above her knees and Colin wrapped the satin sheet around his waist._

"_Come back to bed," He muttered, pressed his lips against her ear and carefully pulling her back to his chest. Jane's brown eyes went up to his and he swallowed. Her gaze pierced him straight to center and without second thought he pulled her in for another kiss_.

Sighing, Colin opened his eyes to find himself back in the bustling airport, the young floriest now looking up at him with keen interest. He peered down at her, a sad smile on his lips. The man pushed the auburn hair that was falling in her face out of her eyes. The loudspeaker above their heads indicated his flight was boarding.

Standing together, Jane brushed nonexistent dust off his trench coat. She hoped that his departure would mean nothing, but she knew this to be a false hope. She'd miss him. His offhand remarks and slightly jaded outlook.

_She quirked a brow as he poured milk into his coffee, but no sugar. It was odd. Colin caught her staring and offered her a shrug. "I like the bitterness."_

"_Ah." She turned away from him, going back to her book. This little dance had been going on a few weeks now. With the two of them sharing a booth in the constantly, _frustratingly_, filled coffee house. The only coffee house within a six block radius of the campus. _

"_I'm Colin Fisher."_

_"Jane Lane." _

_He let out a snort of laughter, and she tore her eyes away from her book long enough to send him a quirked brow. "Seriously?" She nodded. His smile dropped sheepishly, "oh. That's cool."_

"_No it's not. It's cruel." The woman across him answered, taking a sip of her coffee(black). Her light eyes went back to her textbook as he smirked at her._

"_It's not so bad."_

"_Hm."_

"_Your name could be Penny."_

_She looked up at him, lips pursed. "That's my sister."_

_His face blanched, and he managed to choke out, "really?"_

_She grinned at him, "no."_

The contact of his lips on hers pulled her from the memory. Lightly chapped and warm, she ached to get one last taste of him before he left. Colin's arms slipped around her waist, pulling her tightly to him as the crowd around them jostled about loudly.

Jane pulled away first. She gave his chest a light smack and the man in question a weak smile.

He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off.

"Well, anyways," She cleared her throat, "I'll see you around."

Nodding mutely, Fisher barely felt the kiss that landed gently on his cheek. His hazel eyes followed her until she was out of sight, and soon enough, just as he predicted, she was out of his life.


	5. A Secret Smile

It was the one thing he coveted most.

Arastoo glanced over at the stoic woman's fingers, tapping notably fast on the buttons of her key board before going back to her face. There was a sporadic moment of silence as she realized she was being stared at, and her grey eyes went up to his dark brown ones.

Lifting a brow above her glasses, she asked, "Yes?"

"Uh…" He cleared his throat. Finding his mouth suddenly dry he cursed himself to speak, but only managed to open and close his mouth a few times before going back to his own monitor. Nanoseconds later, her fingers were back on the keys and the woman had once again dismissed him.

Serena Stillman. One of the many interns working at the Jeffersonian. She worked in pathology, and was often seen sitting, working, eating, and generally _being_ alone. A few of the women had tried to engage her in conversation, but after a few days of emotionless responses, if any at all, they often gave up their quest with their tails between their legs.

His eyes slipped back over to her and she watched her visibly sigh and roll her shoulders. "How are you enjoying being Dr Brennan's assistant?"

Arastoo's dark eyes widened. "Uh- it's, it's great, how're things in the pathology department?"

Her narrow shoulders rose and fell easily. "Sickly."

He snickered quietly, "as to be expected I suppose."

"Hm."

Biting his lip, he tilted his head at her. She was really quite pretty, in a played down kind of way. Sandy brown hair was swept back in a half hearted pony tail, her eyes still intently looking at her screen. Although her hands had stilled and were now placed in her lap. "So. Serena."

"Yes?" She still wouldn't look at him, and the woman cursed ever instigating conversation. It was those damn brown eyes. Every girl's a sucker for brown eyes.

"What're you-" Arastoo groaned as his phone rang, thus earning a curious glance from Serena. "Hello?"

There was some gabber on the other end, quick and high pitched. Having worked in the Jeffersonian for several months, she knew who it was without being able to make out any articulate words; Dr. Brennan. Wordlessly, the brunette picked up her bag from the floor, clicked save and disappeared out of the computer lab.

"No, wa-" He got up to follow when he realized just who he was on the phone with, "No not you, Dr. Brennan." Falling back onto the wheelie chair he let his head roll back as he slumped against the uncomfortable plastic.

It was almost a week before he saw her again. Whether she was avoiding him, or perhaps more logically, because they had conflicting schedules, he didn't know. She was sitting in the cafeteria, her eyes locked on a small book in front of her. One hand spun a straw between slim fingers whilst the other stroked the page in front of her.

Serena glanced up at him a moment. He was staring at her from the cafeteria line up. When caught, he raised a hand and waved, nonchalantly of course, and shot her a sheepish smirk. The woman did neither in response. In fact, she gave him no response at all. Just closed up her book and promptly left.

"That," Jack Hodgins said, clapping the intern on the back, "was cold, my friend."

Arastoo sighed, "I know."

"What would even make you think you had a shot with the Ice Queen, anyway?"

"That's a little harsh-"

"Dude." Jack stared at him, a serious mask over his amused features, "Angela tried to get her to come to lunch with us once and she _ignored_ her."

The taller man stared at him, "and?"

"And do you know how hard it is to ignore Angela? You may as well ignore a train wreck!"

"I'm telling her you said that," Arastoo smirked, paying for his apple.

Jack scoffed, "she knows it's true." He shrugged, "you like 'er?"

"I don't know. She's…"

"Pretty." Hodgins said. "But come on, she has the emotional range of a twig."

Pursing his lips, Arastoo shook his head. "You don't know that."

"Yes I do."

"No you don't."

"_Yes_ I _do_." Jack snapped, "King of the Lab, remember? Besides isn't it against your religion to lust after the infidels?"

"I am not _lusting_."

"Well, Romeo, why don't you ask her to the Carnival?"

Arastoo blinked at him, "What-"

"Don't tell me you didn't get the memo?" Hodgins grinned, pulling out a folded piece of blue paper. He handed it to the man, who took it reluctantly.

_EMPLOYEE CARNIVAL_

_Saturday from 10 am to 10 pm_

_Family and Friends Welcome_

**ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY **

"Dr. Soreyan sure knows how to get her point across," the intern said, frowning slightly. "You think I should?"

"What's there to lose?"

Saturday came quickly, and much to his annoyance, Serena had managed to elude him throughout the week. People swarmed the park down the road from the Jeffersonian, enticed by the rides, music and cotton candy. The woman herself was taking in the sights around the carnival. A small girl attached tightly to her hand, jumping up and down, giggling loudly.

"Please, Aunt Reni?" She looked up hopefully at the woman, pointing to a small game stand.

Serena nodded, "okay." Knowing she only had to spend a few hours with her niece, the intern could spoil her and not face any consequences. The little girl pulled her over to the stand, and the stoic woman looked curiously at the man behind it. He pointed to a sign above his head.

"All ya gotta do it knock down the bottles," He gestured to a stack of five coke bottles, "Three balls for four dollars, or five for five."

The brunette let go of the six year old's hand and reached into her satchel. The small leather purse hung high on her waist. With some minor difficulty she pried it open and paid the man.

Arastoo was wandering around aimlessly when a very…unusual sight stopped him. Serena was standing next to a young girl with dark brown hair, the woman's hands on the child's small shoulders, speaking in what appeared to be a gentle tone.

He briefly wondered if he had been smacked over the head by a falling carnival ride and this was his own personal twisted version of limbo. Deciding to test the waters, he causally approached the girls. "Hey."

Serena looked over at him, surprise evident in her grey eyes as the girl next to her waved enthusiastically. "Hi!" She tilted her head, "Do you work with my Reni?"

He smiled down at her, bending on his knee to be at her level. The woman was mortified by the family nickname, especially in front of a rather attractive man, but her face didn't so much as hint at it. Instead, she simply cocked a brow as he shook her niece's hand, "Sort of, I'm Arastoo."

"What kinda name is that?"

"Julie!" She shrieked, horrified to the point of a deep red.

"What?" The child shrieked. "I was just asking."

This time a fine blush lined the woman's cheeks and she looked away as Arastoo smirked at her. "It's fine," he told them, "it's a Persian name."

"Oh. Like the cat?"

"Not exactly." The man stood, eying the game they were playing with interest, "what're you playing?"

Julie heaved a sigh and reattached herself to 'Reni's hand, "we're out of balls."

"Is that right…what were you trying to win?"

"Win?" The two echoed back at him.

He nodded, "yeah, what prize?"

Julie blinked a moment before whipping her head up to the man behind the counter, "you didn't say there were prizes!"

"It was implied."

Serena shook her head at the man, "she's five."

"Six." Julie said.

"Six." The woman repeated.

The interning anthropologist chuckled, "let me give it a shot." He shrugged off his jacket and draped it on the booth, along with a five dollar bill.

Although it turned out to be unneeded as it only took one ball to knock them down. Not that Serena noticed. Her eyes had been more fixated on his biceps then where the ball was going.

She met his gaze to find him smiling knowingly at her and with another faint flush she tapped the girl on the shoulder. "Say thank you."

"Thank you!" Julie chirped, looking at Arastoo as she accepted a small stuffed toy(it appeared to be some type of animal but neither adult was too focused on it) from the disgruntled carnival worker. She hugged it to her chest as she flicked her eyes from the blushing brunette and the smiling stranger. "Are you two gonna get married?"

"What?" Serena's gaze whipped down to hers, "no, we're not."

"Why not?"

"Because I said so." He woman said through gritted teeth, wandering desperately when her sister would arrive to take the godforsaken child away from her.

Arastoo was considerably more mellow, "we'll see." He shot Serena a coy glance. "You guys enjoying yourself?"

Julie nodded with complete seriousness. "Yes." The man looked at the woman for confirmation and she nodded subtly.

"How about some cotton candy?" Serena asked, hoping that if she stuffed the child's face with some type of sugary delight it might silence her until her cute co-worker got bored and wandered off.

It didn't. The child continued to prattle on with embarrassing storied for the while two hours they spent with Arastoo. Not that he minded, enjoying the time he was having getting to know more about Serena, who over the course of the time hadn't so much as cracked a smirk. At least not a real one. She seemed to know when it was appropriate to humor the child and would reply with a stiff upturning of her lips, but nothing more. If Julie noticed, it didn't seem to deter her affections for the woman. Her small hand was clamped tightly around her aunt's, never straying unless to point at something. Which, while happened often, was always reinforced by a tight hold on Serena's long peasant skirt. The white material was now covered in tiny, dirty little hand prints.

The sun was setting, and the park was now illuminated by various strings of white lights(which seemed to be of the festive sort). The adults looked up when they flicked on, and the man next to her opened his mouth to make a rather lame joke about it being a little late for Christmas when her cell phone rang.

The woman put the phone to her ear, shrugging at his perplexed face. "Hello? Yeah…oh, alright. Okay. Love you too, bye." She hung up, looking down at the child in front of her, "you're mom's here to pick you up."

"Oh." Julie's shoulders slumped slightly. She looked up at Arastoo curiously, "I'll see you again right?"

He shrugged, smiling at her with ease. Serena was almost jealous of him. His easy, laid back nature. "Maybe."

A slim, rather beautiful woman was standing next to the ride when they got there, and Julie's disappointment faded quickly. "Mom!"

Serena stood there awkwardly as her sister flashed the girl a bright smile as she hoisted her onto her hip. "Did you have a good time?"

"Look what Arastoo got me!" the stuffie was shoved into the woman's face and she took it from the girl. She looked at it, then the man, then her sister. Her smile shifted into a smirk as she noticed how close they were standing.

"It's lovely, Jules." Her grey eyes went to her sister's, "was she alright?"

"Fine." Serena nodded, her face the ever stoic mask. She was happy to see her sister, but…expressing herself was rather difficult for the woman. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

Trish adjusted the girl on her hip, looking over at the man next to her little sis with amusement, "should I tell mom to set an extra plate?"

"No." Her face flushed in the darkness, and the intern noticed how she stiffened her arms in her black jacket. He felt bad for her. For her awkward unhappy expressions and sad eyes.

"Too bad." Her sister seemed empathetic, if not a little annoyed. "It was nice meeting you," she said to the man, and then took her daughter and left. The child waved goodbye over the woman's shoulder and shrieked a thank you to Arastoo for the toy.

When they were out of sight, Serena nodded to him, echoing the girl's statement, "thank you."

He smiled at her, "no problem. I had a good time."

"I'm glad." She nodded to him and went to turn away.

"Where are you going?" He asked, eyes widening at the sudden brush off.

"I have six tickets left," She held them up for him to see as she stepped up the stairs of the tilt a whirl. A smile lit up her features and his heart stopped for a moment. "Let me treat you to a go?"

He grinned at her.

She'd given him the one thing he coveted most; her secret smile.

**A/N**: first Arastoo story! Not one of my best but i had a prompt that had the word 'covet' in it and this is where my mind went. Also...was there an ep. with him and baseball? I'm pretty sure there was...


	6. W Wendell's Drinking Buddy

Naomi glared at him from the table. Her green eyes bloodshot and aching as they narrowed at the other intern, "I hope you die in a fire."

Wendell smirked, "That's a little harsh."

He passed her another bottle of water, ignoring the way she snatched it out of his hand.

"Of course you're fine," she mumbled, her head never leaving the work desk. "It was only your stupid idea to go out and your stupid idea to order tequila and your stupid pretty face. You think you're so cute."

"You think I'm pretty?" He asked teasingly, a grin stretching across his lips as he leaned over her. Nuzzling against her soft hair, he chuckled.

"No." The brunette let out a groan as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I hate you."

Ignoring her whine, he asked, "We still on for tonight?"

"Not if you keep being so goddamn happy about it." Naomi sighed, sitting up with a scowl on her sharp, fox like features. Her gaze softened as he moved out of sight, an amorous smile making her way across her lips despite her pounding headache. So, maybe she thought he was a _little_ pretty. The stupid, pretty bastard.

Her line of thought continued this way, and on the various things she would like to do to him(both sexually and violently, with a surprising amount of overlap) until the good Dr. Brennan arrived. Glassy green eyes rose to meet her very pregnant boss' stern gaze.

"Why aren't you in the lab?"

"Hung-over." Naomi replied dryly, her eyes fluttered absently as she squinted up at the woman. "It's all stupid Wendell's fault."

Brennan blinked at her, head tilting quizzically as she asked, "How is your inability to hold your alcohol Wendell's fault?"

"He gave me this stupid smile and made a really lame joke and I just…I had to go." Naomi shook her head in wonder, "I don't know how he does it."

"Most likely, your attraction to him most likely impacts your ability to deny his proposition." Brennan explained, "Perhaps if you had better self-control you wouldn't be in this situation."

Naomi glared at her. "Maybe if you had more self-control you wouldn't be pregnant!"

"Excuse me?!"

"I'm sorry," Naomi pressed her water to her forehead. "I didn't mean it."

"I am pregnant because I want to have a child, not because I was irresponsible!"

"Please don't yell," the younger brunette winced at her boss' high pitched, angry tone. "I said I was sorry!"

Brennan huffed indignantly, but didn't comment on the intern's plea for quietness. "Where exactly is Wendell? Booth wanted to talk to him about the structure intregity of our house."

"I'm not his keeper." Naomi replied stiffly, "Check Limbo."

"You are really quite unhelpful, are you aware of that?" The anthropologist pursed her lips. "Most interns are most eager to help their superiors."

"I've been told several times that I suck, thank you."

With another look of queer disapproval, Brennan went off. Just as she went out, Hodgins came in. A wide grin stretched across his bearded features as he spotted the wincing brunette, and he made a bee line to her table.

"Well, good morning, Miss Broodypants," He taunted, dropping into the seat across from her. When her green eyes narrowed at him, he chuckled, "Rough night?"

Naomi sniffed and leaned back in her seat. "I hate him."

"No you don't," His smile only widened, "You love him and you love his stupid little face."

The woman scoffed. "Stupid pretty boy and his stupid face.

"He is very pretty." Hodgins agreed.

She lifted an absent shoulder, "He's also out to ruin my life and kill my liver and I think I might hate him."

When Hodgins only grinned at her, the brunette grit her teeth. For a few minutes the two only stared at each other, one glaring, one looking positively gleeful.

"I hate you."

"No you don't," The man snickered, "you're just mad because Wendell tricked you into going out and having a life."

"Yeah…" Naomi cracked an impish grin, "Charming bastard."

"He said you two are going out again tonight," Hodgins pulled the water from her hands and cracked it open. "Now, what did we learn from last night?"

"No tequila shots on a work night?"

"Damn right."

**A/N: This one had a good start but I don't really like it.**


End file.
